Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Stoker J. Herman, Royal Naval Reserve

1914-15 Star (S.7703 St., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (7703S Sto., R.N.R.) British War Medal with correction to service number, nearly extremely fine (3) £50-70

John Herman was born in Runcorn, Cheshire, on 28 July 1894. At the time of his enlistment into the R.N.R. in July 1915, he was living with his parents, William and Mary, at 22 Grafog Street, Port Tennant, Swansea. Rated as a Stoker, he served at H.M.S. Vivid, July-October 1915. From 19 October 1915 until the end of the war he served as a Stoker aboard the light cruiser H.M.S. Cleopatra. The ship formed part of the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron based at Harwich. On 23-24 March 1916 the ship rammed and sunk the German destroyer G 194; the ship survived the ramming only to be damaged in an accidental collision with H.M.S. Undaunted. The next day the ship sank another destroyer. In August 1916 H.M.S. Cleopatra was damaged by a mine off the Belgian coast. In late 1918 the ship was transferred to the 7th Light Cruiser Squadron serving with the Grand Fleet. After service on the light cruiser H.M.S. Dauntless, November 1918-March 1919, Stoker Herman was demobilised. With copied service papers and other research.